acquitted in the mississippi civil rights workers murders trial . it was the first time that a white jury had convicted " a white official in a civil rights killing . " in 2005 , the case was reopened by the state , which brought charges in the case for the first time . edgar ray kill ##en was convicted of mans ##lau ##ght ##er and sentenced to 60 years in prison . meridian later honored chan ##ey by renaming a portion of 49th avenue after him and holding an annual memorial service . starting in the 1960s and following the construction of highways that made com ##mut ##ing easier , residents began to move away from downtown in favor of new housing subdivisions to the north .
acquitted in the mississippi civil rights workers murders trial. it was the first time that a white jury had convicted " a white official in a civil rights killing. " in 2005, the case was reopened by the state, which brought charges in the case for the first time. edgar ray killen was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 60 years in prison. meridian later honored chaney by renaming a portion of 49th avenue after him and holding an annual memorial service. starting in the 1960s and following the construction of highways that made commuting easier, residents began to move away from downtown in favor of new housing subdivisions to the north.